Monthly Archive for: ‘August, 2020’
Colonialism in India was traumatic – including for some of the British officials who ruled the Raj
When India gained independence from Britain on August 15 1947, the majority of Anglo-Indians had either left or would leave soon after. Many within the Indian Civil Service would write of the trauma that they experienced from witnessing the violence of the years leading up …
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The Pledge of Independence
The Indian National Congress, on December 19, 1929, passed the historic ‘Purna Swaraj’ – (total independence) resolution – at its Lahore session, which called for “complete freedom from the British.” The Purna Swaraj resolution—proclaimed on January 26, 1930, – a day, which the Congress Party …
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Churchill and India: imperial chauvinism left a bitter legacy
For those who enjoy debunking the reputations of national heroes, there can be few softer targets than Winston Churchill. The phrase “flawed hero” could almost have been invented to characterise his long, wilfully erratic career. Running through it, like some bitter-tasting lettering in a stick …
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How Gandhi’s Dandi March Shook the British Empire!
The march on foot undertaken by Gandhi and seventy-eight freedom fighters was the most significant event in the history of the breach of salt law in our country. It was commenced in accordance with a fixed schedule to be carried on by them during the …
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The Dandi March and its Long-term effect
The Dandi March, also known as the Salt Satyagraha, salt March and the Dandi Satyagraha, was an act of nonviolent civil disobedience in colonial India led by Mahatma Gandhi. The twenty-four day march lasted from 12 March 1930 to 5 April 1930 as a direct …
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Britain, India and the Koh-i-Noor diamond – don’t expect the jewel to be prised out of the crown
The history of the Koh-i-Noor diamond is steeped in mystery and conflict. It is currently stored in the Tower of London, as part of the British Crown Jewels, set the crown of Queen Elizabeth (the crown of the late Queen Mother), though many Indians have …
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August 15, 1947 – From Bondage to Freedom
Every year on August 15, the Indian nation celebrates its Independence Day with great pride and enthusiasm. It is the day on which in 1947, the British transferred political power to the Indians after nearly 200 years of imperial rule over the country. This day …
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Honorable Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi addresses at the inauguration the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’
Present on the stage, Governor of Gujarat Shri Acharya Dev Vrat ji, Chief Minister Shri Vijay Rupani ji, my colleague in the Union Council of Ministers, Shri Prahlad Patel ji, my fellow Parliamentarian in the Lok Sabha, Shri C.R. Patil ji, the newly elected Mayor …
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The history of India’s tricolor flag
This month, India celebrates 73 years of independence. The tricolor flag – perhaps the most tangible and potent symbol of freedom from colonial servitude – is, particularly, on full display. In 2017, a rally organised in Delhi was held under a 2,200-foot-long tricolor. At …
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What Swaraj meant to Gandhi?
The twentieth century has been characterised as a century of widespread democratic upsurge. The first half of the century witnessed the overthrow of colonialism in Asia and Africa because of the liberation struggles. The Indian freedom movement led by Mahatma Gandhi which used nonviolent direct …
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